The invention relates to the electrical power supply for electrical devices of an aircraft engine and/or its environment.
The field of application of the invention is more particularly that of airplane engines, in particular gas turbine engines.
The electrical devices of an aircraft engine or its environment here refers not only to electrical devices useful for the operation of the engine strictly speaking, but also electrical devices associated with the nacelle of the engine, for example such as nacelle anti-icing (NAI) electrical circuits or thrust reverse cowl opening system (TRCOS) actuators or electromechanical thrust reverse actuation control (ETRAC) actuators for a gas turbine airplane engine, or even associated with the wings supporting the engine, for example such as electrical deicing or anti-icing circuits of the airplane wing.
Document FR 2 911 848 describes an architecture in which the power supply and control circuit comprises two generators mounted on a transmission housing mechanically coupled to a turbine shaft of an aircraft engine. These generators are typically Starters/Generators (S/G) comprising a synchronous generator that is associated with an energizer and provides a variable-frequency AC voltage as a function of the engine rating, the energizer assembly and synchronous generator being controlled to run in synchronous engine mode when the turbine is started. The AC voltage supplied by the S/G is conveyed toward an electrical distribution network onboard the airplane, or an airplane electrical system. An airplane electrical system provides, via one or more distribution buses, a regulated AC voltage, typically 115 Vac or 230 Vac, having a frequency that varies as a function of the speed of rotation of the turbine shaft. The circuit also powers a voltage converter circuit that provides a regulated DC voltage, typically 270 Vdc or +/−270 Vdc, on one or more buses. The voltages produced supply different loads in the fuselage area of the airplane.
Besides, several electrical devices situated in the engine of the aircraft or in the engine environment are powered by a DC voltage supply bus, which in turn is powered by voltage converters connected to the AC voltage of the airplane onboard electrical network. These electrical devices may comprise an electromechanical thrust reverser actuator.
Furthermore, the power supply circuit also includes a power generator integrated into the engine of the aircraft to power a deicing or anti-icing circuit of the nacelle of the engine or a deicing circuit for a wing supporting the engine. This makes it possible to limit the length of the cable conveying the electricity toward the deicing circuit, and therefore to reduce the mass and bulk of the cables necessary to convey the electricity to loads outside the fuselage.
Despite the advantages of this architecture, the voltage converters that power the electrical devices in the engine area must be sized taking into account the power necessary for all of the devices, which can represent a significant mass and bulk. Furthermore, these voltage converters being connected to the airplane onboard electrical network, they must satisfy constraints in terms of harmonic limits not to be exceeded and current surge. These converters thus have a complex structure.